Well, that went better than expected."
"No kidding. I was expecting torches and rocks and whatnot."
"Gilda, are you serious? They wouldn't do that." Rainbow Dash complained while waving goodbye at the last pegasus before he jumped from the cloud.
The last few minutes indeed went better than any of them, including Twilight, could've expected. While most of the other pegasus knew Lightning Dust to an extent they were quite 'enthusiastic' to know the griffon better.
Of course that such enthusiasm could only refer about Cloud Kicker.
The purple mare with blonde hair assaulted the griffon with ridiculous questions. One of them, for Rainbow's Dash ultimate rage and embarrassment, being if the cyan mare and the griffon had an affair at their younger age.
Needless to say Gilda instantly marked Cloud Kicker as a weirdo, not because of the question itself, but because you don't go around asking such things in public. Lightning Dust actually found the situation hilarious, especially if involved making Rainbow ashamed beyond belief.
It took both Helia and Blossomforth's efforts to stop Rainbow from strangling Cloud Kicker at that particular moment. Cloud Chaser berated the younger mare for making indecent questions, though despite all the awkwardness Gilda seemed to enjoy the fuss it caused.
"You know, I actually like Cloud Kicker, she's really cool. How come we haven't meet before?" Gilda asked with a devious smile. The griffon knew how this would easily annoy the cyan mare.
Much to Gilda's satisfaction she heard, clear as day, Rainbow groaning at the mention of the younger mare of the Weather Control Team of Ponyville.
"Please, can we forget about Cloud Flicker for a second? I'm not in the mood for that. "
"Rainbow's right, we should dwell into more important matters. " Twilight said making Rainbow Dash jump at surprise. "Also you should not call Cloud Kicker by such names."
"When did you get in here?!" Rainbow asked amazed at the mare's stealthy approach. Twilight raised an eyebrow while looking confused.
"I just came through the door with the three of you." She replied sounding actually concerned. "Are you feeling alright Rainbow?"
"Yeah, just fine. Just had too much to deal with. " The cyan mare replied tiredly.
"How can you be tired?! You just woke up!" Gilda asked indignated. Lightning seemed completely unfazed so far, probably because she was still thinking carefully about the conversations she just had with the other pegasus.
It was quite bizarre for Dust how much things were changing so abruptly in the last hours. From a lonely pegasus that failed to accomplish the only thing she worked her entire life for, to end back with her former Wonderbolt colleagues about to enter a competition against the Wonderbolts themselves.
She resented the things that Rainbow Dash has done at her back, for the betrayal of their friendship at that time. Despite feeling unfairly treated Lightning, for some reason, never managed to hate Rainbow for what happened, even because the cyan mare was right about how cold and uncaring Dust acted back then.
No, there was only one pony to hate on. The same one who praised her skills but, in the end, decided to favor Rainbow Dash to save her own face. That same pony Lightning once respected and admired, believing her to be an example of everything Dust wanted to be as a Wonderbolts.
That very same pony that her grandfather spent months tutoring during her academy training.
"Twi-Princess Sparkle, I believe you want to know how things have been since we last talked?" Lightning wondered with a degree of formalty that she hardly displayed during her time back at the academy.
"Urgh, please, call me Twilight. 'Princess Sparkle' makes me feel weird." Twilight said with a cringy expression. Lightning shrugged, she seemed actually relieved to be able to drop formalities.
"Wait, I actually remember you," Gilda said all of sudden. " You didn't have wings back then, how come you have now?" The griffon was noticeably baffled. Twilight and Rainbow shared odd looks before anypony could answer.
"Yeah, that's quite the story, believe me on that, but I think we have more urgent matters as I said before. You three mind sharing your friendship adventure with me?" The purple mare asked excitedly.
Gilda and Lightning gave Twilight cold glares before turning their backs to her. Needless to say Twilight was confused and worried if she said something wrong.
"Look Twi..." Rainbow said somewhat sheepishly while patting her hoofs togheter. "This is a bit more complicated to treat as another.....eh.....friendship problem. "
"How so?" Twilight asked intrigued.
"Complicated as ' I'm not Rainbow's friend'." Lightning said rather rispidly.
"Yeah, we know that. Even so Gilda and I are best friends again, right G?" Rainbow said cheerfully.
The griffon smiled nervously while trying to think on something to respond. The other ponies could easily realize her uncomfortable reaction.
"G, we.....friends....right?" Rainbow asked again, but this time looking a bit crestfallen. Gilda seemed to be fighting a battle with herself just to be able to answer that. "I thought we apologized to the other about what happened....didn't we became best friends again?"
"Rainbow, I...." The griffon seemed terrible unsure of answering that. Perhaps it was not visible but was she actually scared of being friends just to end up forgotten and cast aside again. " Even if I said before....I've been thinking better and....we were just emotionally weak at the time....I wasn't really thinking.....I'm not ready to be your friend yet. I'm sorry..."
If Gilda thought Rainbow couldn't look any sadder she was wrong. She much now resembled that little filly back at the academy that hurt herself during one of her stunts and got mocked in the process.
"But you said...I mean....didn't we?" Rainbow seemed so lost while looking desesperately for a sign that Gilda didn't really meant what she said.
"It's not you!...I mean, maybe....you changed and I don't really know like I used to." Gilda was having a hard time trying to express herself properly. "I really want to be your friend, but...I'm not sure if I can."
Rainbow stood at despair while trying to understand why the griffon changed her mind all if sudden. The more she thought about the more she was starting to understand. Still whatever reasons the griffon had it didn't stop Rainbow's emotions to bottle up and slowly discharge through her magenta eyes.
"Pffff, are you really gonna cry now? Grow up Rainbow,"
Of course that Lightning Dust had to say the wrong thing.
"SAYS THE PONY THAT SPENT MONTHS MOOPING INSIDE HER OWN HOUSE BECAUSE SHE LOST THE ONLY FRIEND SHE HAD."
Had been any other yelling Lightning would've pointedly ignored them, but in this case it was Gilda and that both shocked and made Dust embarrassed for even saying such thing.
Once it was clear that Lightning regretted her own words the griffon shifted her attention back to the cyan mare. Much to Gilda's surprise Rainbow was no longer in the same room as them.
"Where did she go?" Gilda asked to Twilight, the Princess was currently busy giving Lightning a stern glare.
"She flew to her room I think. She's.....going through bad memories."
The indirect became clear as Lightning winced as she heard that response. It was obvious she royally messed it up. Why she even said that in the first place? What right had she to judge Rainbow's feelings with such hypocrisy?
"I need to talk with her, I shouldn't have agreed on becoming friends again so quickly. Don't look at me like that Twilight! Rainbow....changed. How can I be friends with somepony I don't really know?"
This question seemed to have caught Lightning by surprise, she really expected to befriend the griffon quickly, seems that's not going to happen at all.
"I think I can understand that. Even so it's unfair to her for you to not consider your friendship even if not as strong as it was before, Rainbow went out there to fix past mistakes and fill those empty feelings she had for so long. She offered you both a place to stay as also a spot on the team. She deserved better than being rejected like that." The purple mare resumed with a bit of a reprimand.
Both Gilda and Lightning were already feeling terribly ashamed at this point, even if for different reasons. Incredibly as it seems, Lightning's shame quickly dissipated once she reminded herself of everything she lost thanks to Rainbow Dash and Spitfire.
"Like I said, she's not my friend. I rather find new ones than to trust her ever again. If she thinks I'm gonna be friends again just because she's sorry she can kiss my plot."
Before anyone could reply the former wonderbolt flapped her wings and dashed away. Twilight was frustrated with new development.
"Gilda, go talk with Rainbow. I'll handle Lightning." The purple mare said before trotting after the daredevil.
"Huh, Twilight? Why don't you fly after her?" Gilda asked with a raised eyebrow. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks as she quickly realized the fault in her behavior.
"Oh, he he, yeah. Good point." The alicorn replied visibly embarrassed before making her way through the air.
The griffon sighed heavily, she was incredibly worried about talking with Dash considering how hurt the pegasus was after hearing Gilda's apology. Not that it was really an apology but more of a statement.
*************************************************************************************************************
"You cannot possibly be serious Luna"
"We are very serious Tia. How could thee make this event without having Canterlot to compete? We assure you that our idea shall present as a great benefit for all of those who shall testimony."
Celestia eyed the other alicorn warily as she pondered the possible outcomes of agreeing with her sister's intentions.
"Even if I agree with this somehow, how exactly do you plan to set it up? I rest assured that you do not have the elements necessary to compose such group."
Princess Luna stood triumphantly as she glared back at her older sister without hesitation.
Both Princesses had been quite active for the whole day. The arrangements for the even were stressful enough, Celestia herself was thankful for Luna's rather enthusiastic assistance towards both the event and her daily duties. Surprisingly The Night Princess have been working extra hard even during her own 'timezone' for the arrangements to be on schedule, thought there was hardly much she could accomplish when most ponies would be sleeping.
At first Celestia was fascinated with her sister's energetic disposition to help as much as possible. She carried such glee in her eyes Celestia haven't seeing since over a thousand years ago.
Obviously, once Luna decided to reveal her intentions, Celestia immediately brought her guard up against her ideas. She could quite understand why LuLu was so obsessed with the event, it's been so long she had such opportunity to make part on something so great as this, more than anything Luna wanted to present herself to the Kingdom under a better light.
"Thou shall not worry. We already have some pegasus in mind, they proved their worthy several times before. We also posses pegasus in our own guard." Luna replied spontaneously. Celestia sighed, her concerns were greater than Luna could ever understand.
"Despite how careful you might have conducted your plans I still resent this. I'm sorry Luna, but I'm afraid I cannot allow it."
Luna's confident pose shattered instantaneously as she stared towards her sister in utter despair.
"But Tia!" Their dark mare's voice sounded incredibly hurt and dissapointed. "I worked so hard and waited so long for this! I promised to them already! I cannot dissapoint those ponies! Why you're being like this?!"
Luna's sudden outburst surprised Celestia. The tall and elegant white alicorn stared back towards her younger sister unsuredly.
"I don't want ponies getting the wrong ideas Luna. I wouldn't mind so much if the group's name wasn't so much of a taboo as you know it is." Celestia said kindly as possible, but Luna still remained upset, the visible pout in her face made the white unicorn chuckle.
"I know that! But it's the only cool name I could think of."
Celestia stood mouth agape while wondering if she just heard that correctly.
Luna's excuse for all the problems involved regarding her plans, the incessant ammount of hours dedicated to such ambitious project, was being threatened for the single reason that Princess Luna, the co-ruler of Equestria herself, thought it sounded 'cool'?!
"Where did you learn this line of thought?" Celestia asked with a small frown. Luna rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Has thou forgot we've been to Ponyville sometimes? There's this fascinating mare called Rainbow D-
"I've heard enough." Celestia interrupted with exasperation. "If you insist so much dear sister, then.....very well. You shall gather you t-UGH!"
Celestia stood in shock as Luna hugged onto her so intensely that she managed to knock Celestia's breath out a bit.
"We thank you so much dear sister!" Luna proclaimed so happily that fascinated Celestia even further. "Thou shall not regret it! We shall make a victorious team for mighty Canterlot!"
Once Luna finally let go of her sister and flew away from the chamber Celestia found herself in peace to gather her thoughts and analyze the events carefully.
It's been very long since she saw Luna acting so excited like this. Celestia wasn't really sure of what aspect of the event drove her sister to be acting like this, but whatever it was it made all the effort Celestia made into it worthy so far, even if only because it made Luna happy as she hasn't been for so long.
Still the Princess of the Sun was worried of how ponies would react once the event came around. Celestia never thought necessary for Canterlot to compete, it worked better as a the initial and final stage than anything else. Luna's efforts into making such team were intriguing at first, but once she revealed her team's name it generated a dreadful feeling into Celestia. Of all the names, why it had to be this one?
Celestia stared away into the vast extension of her Kingdom through the window, the sun shining intensely while at it's peek. A gentle breeze brought inside the warmth of the world outside as the Princess closed her eyes to enjoy it. Her mouth opened slowly as she formulated the word that has been concerning her for so long.
"Shadowbolts....."